ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 3, FIVE STAR NAP

FIRST RACE

The Racing Festival of the South continues Friday with the running of the Grade 1, $600K Apple Blossom, which drew champion Stellar Wind, and the Grade 3, $400K Fantasy, a Kentucky Oaks points race that has lured 12. In the opener, REVEREND SAM returns to the level that has produced his best local finish, and best local Beyer Figure, this meet at Oaklawn. BETWEENSATINSHEETS is on the also-eligible list, but would rate as a top contender were he to draw into the body of the field. He has the look of a runner on the improve. DREAMMEISTER has seen steeper, as has PRIMAL.

SECOND RACE

LUV BANDIT must overcome the wide gate, but he is appealing as an 11-time winner who has spent his career facing steeper. He also has natural speed. ANMAAT should be sharp for the move back to two turns off the sprint start. He has been effective routing at the meet. BOB’S GONE WILD is a 10-time winner and logical choice off a thirdplace finish at similar level last out at Oaklawn. Another of interest is FLUMMOX, who rallied behind a winner who got bolder and bolder on the front end, winning off by 14.

THIRD RACE

FIVE STAR NAP exits a quick race against steeper. It came over five and a half furlongs and now she moves back to the distance of her maiden win, six panels. FIVE STAR NAP also has an age edge on some of these as she is 4. SANILAC meets winners for the first time, but is well-spotted at this level and owns one of the field’s best last-race Beyer Speed Figures. OH DEAR LORD is a fresh horse as she has not seen action since July, but what she lacks there she makes up for in class as one who has spent her career facing steeper. She owns the field’s best last-race Beyer Speed Figure. PRECISELY PONTI won the very first race of Oaklawn 2017.

FOURTH RACE

REGAL REIGN has more natural speed than a number of these and is a threat to wire the field. DUSTY is stuck on the also-eligible list but looks like he would be a factor were he to draw into the body of the field. FIRST RESPONSE has caught fast crowds in each of his two career starts. Another of interest is LANGDOM.

FIFTH RACE

This is a tough race to sort through, with so many capable options. WILD MAN is on the also-eligible list, but would get the nod were he to draw into the body of the race. He moves back to dirt after a solid effort on the grass and note his maiden win came on the main track at Churchill Downs. CONQUEST HIOSILVER cuts back to one turn after showing speed around two, which can be an effective move with a horse. He has class appeal, too, as one who has been facing steeper. CONDOMINIUM brings good speed to the table and a series of competitive Beyer Figures. The race BIG COMMISSION exits has produced two next-out winners, both in conditioned claimers between Oaklawn and Will Rogers Downs. Another capable runner in competitive spot is RECAPITULATION.

SIXTH RACE

KING PTOLEMY ran a big race in the slop last out at Fair Grounds and for the effort he earned what ranks as this field’s best last-race Beyer Speed Figure. He draws a useful post. SOLVE draws the widest gate, but is appealing as one who has seen steeper in the past. He’s also a winner at the meet. RANK should be sharp for the move back to two turns off the sprint start. Note that race went in a quick 1:09.60. Another of interest is ABRAHAM.

SEVENTH RACE

MAIN ROAD brings good speed to the table, has an age edge on some of these and owns the field’s best last-race Beyer Speed Figure. He is also a well-bred sort as his dam was a multiple stakes winner of $363K and she has produced a Grade 3 winner in Upgrade ($590K). PROVIDENCE ran well on the cutback from two turns to one last time and could be even sharper here in his second straight sprint start. LAWTON is a stakes-placed colt who brings good racing experience to the table. He will add blinkers, which is a high percentage move for Morse. STOUT’CANNON is a half-brother to Grade 2 winner Kantharos ($185K), while EKATI’S GEM is a half-brother to multiple Grade 2 winner Sarah Sis ($912K).

EIGHTH RACE

There appear to be a host of capable options in the Grade 3, $400K Fantasy, a points race for the Kentucky Oaks. VEXATIOUS has represented herself well against high quality competition this season, running third to Farrell last out in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks. In addition, VEXATIOUS was third to colts Battle of Midway and Reach the World in an allowance back home in Southern California, with those runners going on to finish a respective second and fourth in the Santa Anita Derby. On a pedigree point, this one’s dam won the Apple Blossom and has produced a millionaire in Creative Cause. BENNER ISLAND draws an improved post over her last two starts, when she had wide gates in her two route appearances at the meet. She comes off a runner-up finish to the Southern California-based It Tiz Well in the Honeybee, earning what ranks as this field’s best last-race Beyer Speed Figure, an 85. BENNER ISLAND is from a Grade 2-winning mare who ran out $249K. EVER SO CLEVER is multiple Grade 2-placed at Churchill Downs. She shows a pair of strong five-eighths works in preparation for the Fantasy and could be sitting on a peak race in her third start off the layoff. The drawback is the widest gate in field of 12. CHANEL’S LEGACY figures to be sharp for the two turns off the sprint stakes start, and her speed should serve her well in large field, keeping her up out of potential trouble. She is arguably the most accomplished member of the field as a three-time stakes winner. KELL PASO is a stakes winner who ran a big second last out in the $200K Sunland Oaks, while others of interest include SPOOKY WOODS and TORRENT.

NINTH RACE

STELLAR WIND will be giving up recency to her Apple Blossom opponents as she has not raced since November, but her class as a champion who exits the Breeders’ Cup Distaff figures to make her a short-priced favorite to notch her fourth career Grade 1. STELLAR WIND also has an appealing running style. She has the speed to show the way and the willingness to track if need be, with her primary pace rivals situated to her immediate inside: TERRA PROMESSA and DURANGO. On a final note, STELLAR WIND tends to run big off the bench. STREAMLINE reached a career pinnacle last out when she became a Grade 2 winner in the Azeri. She defeated some of these when she moved to the lead soon after the start as the race’s anticipated controlling speed, TERRA PROMESSA, wound up off the pace. STREAMLINE has been effective stalking, too, and might get the kind of setup that serves her well as there appears to be more speed in this race than has been the norm for this division this season at Oaklawn. Last year, she was second in the Apple Blossom. TERRA PROMESSA’S last race is a toss out. She was an odds-on favorite who looked like the controlling speed, but found herself in tight behind horses for a good portion of the race. A concern is that she faces new pace players in DURANGO and STELLAR WIND, but TERRA PROMESSA has been effective from off the pace in the past and note that her three career Grade 3 victories have call come over the local oval, where she is 5-for-6. More than capable. DURANGO is out of a multiple stakes-winning mare who banked $608K. TIGER MOTH is a half-sister to Grade 2-winning millionaire Last Gunfighter.

TENTH RACE

PHILOCTETES finished second to a quality kind of winner last out at Fair Grounds and in preparation for his Oaklawn debut worked a bullet halfmile over the local strip last Saturday. DOCTOR PETER is appealing as a seven-time winner who has seen steeper. DAN THE GO TO MAN must overcome a tough post, but he is a consistent sort with competitive Beyer Figures.